PMD Sky: Luna's Choices
by Lunala - get in the bag
Summary: Follow Luna along on a retelling of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, featuring Pokemon up to Gen 7 and an altered storyline. Rated T for harsh "human words."
1. 1: A Storm At Sea

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"strongChapter 1: A Storm At Sea/strong/p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"strongPOV: Third Person/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emOne sunny day.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emTreasure Town's beach/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Empty skies, gentle waves, and a relaxing atmosphere. Yet, despite this, the sand was empty. There wasn't a single active Pokemon to enjoy this wonderful beach. There emwas,/em however, someone unconscious./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em... .../embr /emUrrgh... Where... Where am I? /emIt thought. emWhat... happened? I remember a scream and... panic... and.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"A memory flashed into their head./p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"Woah! Wh-wh-woah...!"/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"Are... Are you okay!?"/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"No! Don't let go!"/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"Just a little longer... Come on! Hang on!"/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"N-n-no! I can't... hold on...!"/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"Wa/emaaaaaah!"embr /em/p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emWh-Who were those voices...? I can't... Drifting... off.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"And so, it slept./p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emThat evening.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emWigglytuff's Guild: Entrance/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Not far off from the beach was a small but bustling village. It was founded under a common interest: treasure. Merchants found it easy to sell their wares, as many Pokemon came for the rich environment. It was only natural that Treasure Town was established./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"It was precisely that reason that Wigglytuff's Guild was founded at Treasure Town, too. Boasting natural beauty and being located in an easy-to-access area of the continent, Wigglytuff's Guild quickly rose in popularity. em(They also wanted some of the valuables, too.)/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hmm..." And exactly in front of the guild's entrance is a lone Darumaka. Pacing back and forth, lost in thought./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No. I refuse to be paralyzed by this any longer! No more wimping out. I have to be brave today," He exclaimed out loud. Darumaka then proceeded to walk onto the grate in front of the entrance./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" The sentry down below shouted /"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"br /"The footprint is Darumaka's! The footprint is Darumaka's!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Darumaka jumped backwards in fright. "That shocked me!" He /"...I can't... I can't push myself to go in after all... I said to myself this was the day, but... I thought that holding on to my personal treasure would inspire me... But I just can't do it. I'm such a coward... This is so discouraging..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"With tears swelling in his eyes, he turned around and walked down the stairs without ever having entered the guild. Unfortunately Darumaka was not as alone as he thought he was./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, Zubat. Did you get a load of that!?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You bet I did, Koffing."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That little wimp was pacing around... had something good, right?"br /"That wimp had something, that's for sure. It looked like some kind of treasure."br /"Do we go after it?"br /"We do."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Zubat and Koffing simply nodded, and followed Darumaka./p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emTreasure Town's beach/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wow! What an impressive sight!" Darumaka exclaimed, walking onto the shore./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"When the weather's good, the wild Krabby come out at sundown to blow bubbles. The setting sun that seemingly rests on the sea shoots out rays of light that the bubbles reflect. The bubbles put on beautiful colors for a scene that's always impressive. This is where Darumaka ends up whenever he's feeling sorry for himself. It makes him feel good, even more so that nobody else appreciates the beauty./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But his trip was cut short when he noticed something strange resting by the waves. Survey says: it's a sleeping Pokemon. But wait, that's not a normal resting position... "Waaaah! Someone's collapsed on the sand!" Darumaka exclaimed out loud, rushing over for help./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What happened? Are you okay?"/p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"strongPOV: ?/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""...empp/emened? Are you okay?" The unfamiliar voice woke me from my slumber. I let out a rather high-pitched groan, standing up as I tried to recollect my thoughts. Vision was pretty shit. There was a really odd weight on the back of my head, and my body felt... different somehow. A little scrunched up together, yet not uncomfortable./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You weren't moving. You really had me worried there!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emWait, that- was that really my groan? I don't remember my voice being like that... Yeah okay, my body feels all weird and that's the first thing I ask myself. Smart me./em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""How'd you end up unconscious like that anyway?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emOkay, focus Luna. Retrace your /...I... I can't remember anything. I have no memories. span style="max-height: 999999px; text-decoration-line: underline;"Why do I have no memories?/span/em I thought, starting to panic./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hello? Are you okay?" A voice I'd been ignoring finally drew my attention. Yet somehow, there was no human in sight./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""A-a talking Pokemon!?" My British voice screamed femininely, taking a step back. Again, weird weight on my head. The red... dude in front of me stared at me like I was insane. And I probably was. "Why- emhow/em is this possible? I'm just a human!" Ask first, examine later./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What are you talking about? You look like a totally normal Mawile to me!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I stood there for a few seconds before I looked down at myself, and saw that his words were true. Tiny body, cream fur, and skirt-like legs. Not believing his words, I turned to the sea for help. However, not even the water was on my side. Two red eyes stared back at my petite body. I blinked, and it was still there. I splashed water into my eyes, and it was all real. There's no way it was a dream. I'm a complete Mawile in the flesh./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But if that's the case, then that means I have a second jaw coming out from the back of my head. From the reflection, it looks like a big ponytail. Goddamn it has some sharp teeth. emI could make some use of these.../em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You're a little odd... No, really odd..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emSo I'm stuck in a foreign world in a foreign body, with no memories to rely on or nobody to run to. Was I always female? Was I older? Or maybe I- ...Yup, I've officially gone insane, /emI mentally slapped myself./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Are you pulling some kind of trick on me?" The doll-looking Pokemon asked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Huh- o-oh, no no no sir. You see, I emjust/em woke up on a beach with no memories of anything, so I need to take time to... "/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Really? You don't remember anything? Not even your name!?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well, actually, it's Luna. But I only remember that..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""OK. Well, my name is Darumaka. At least you don't seem to be a bad Pokemon. Sorry for doubting you," Darumaka said, "More and more bad Pokemon have been turning up recently, you see! A lot of Pokemon have started being aggressive lately. Things have gotten wild lately..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I noticed two Pokemon floating over quietly behind Darumaka. "Oh, hello. Who might you-" I started, but the Koffing interrupted me by ramming into Darumaka. He was just turning around, too, only to get his face smashed. He was startled so much that he seemed to drop a rock... that I somehow didn't see before. emDid it come out of thin air?!/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well, speak of the devil," I rolled my eyes./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well, I do beg your pardon," Koffing remarked, his face holding the widest grin I've ever seen. Which isn't really saying much./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, what'd you do that for!?" Darumaka shouted angrily, holding a hand against his nose./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Heh-heh-heh! Can't figure it out? We wanted to mess with you! Can't face up to us, can you!?" Zubat chuckled./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wh-what!?" Darumaka shouted./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That's yours, isn't it?" Zubat asked, turning towards the magical /"Hey, that's-!" Darumaka exclaimed, trying to move /"No can do kiddo. You want another headbutt from me?" Koffing questioned, hovering in front of him. Darumaka gulped in intimidation, crawling backwards./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Sorry, kiddo. We'll take that!" Zubat grinned, somehow picking up the rock... Even though he has no hands, and has to use his wings to stay in the air?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Woah-ho-ho! Too scared to make a move to get that back? I didn't expect you'd be a big coward!" Koffing smirked. "Come on. Let's get out of here."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""See you around, chicken," Zubat laughed, as the duo started to walk- err, float away. I simply stood in their way, my hands behind my head and my enormous back-jaw facing them./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""So, stereotypical school bullies. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Why do you want that chunk of rock, anyway? It doesn't look like it has real monetary value, does it?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Uhh, hey... Well, you saw what happened to the wimp there! Do you want that?" Koffing stated, albeit rather nervously. All it took was the opening of the back of my mouth to send them running- emwow I need more terms for this-/em scrambling back./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey- wait! Luna, they still have my treasure!" Darumaka shouted. I shrugged and simply gave chase... after recovering from tripping. Look, I have a new body, which is also much smaller than normal, as well as a giant ass jaw bigger than my head weighing me backwards. You try running like this, after being shrunk to a 2-foot-high./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emAnd now I'm talking to voices in my head- those of which I can't even hear. What has my life come to?/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Despite the trip, it wasn't that hard reaching up to them. I must've been a good runner back in the day. Koffing seemed to be really slow, but he's not who I'm looking for. Zubat had the rock, after all. Unfortunately, they seemed to be running into a town./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""H-help!" Zubat shouted./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emOh, this won't be good. He's trying to get the town on me! Oh and there's shop people too! /emI thought bitterly as shoved away a Corphish out of my /"Hey, hey! What's that for!?" He shouted, but to no avail. Onlooker citizens gasped as I tackled the Zubat to the ground, Darumaka's treasure tumbling to the side./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"em"Why are y-you so... strong..." /emZubat whimpered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's the force of which I hit you with, not my natural strength. Also, the impact of the ground can hurt, as well as the pressure of me crushing you. Oh, sorry if that broke a bone. Now, I'll be taking this back. Have you learned not to cause trouble anymore?" I asked, my foot keeping Zubat on the ground. The blue bat frantically shook his head yes. "Alright... I better not see you causing any more trouble. I'll spare you this time, but if I catch you again..." I finished menacingly, lifting my foot off him. Zubat shakily got off the ground and flew away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Darumaka, who must've been trailing behind me, looked at me in shock and joy. "Hey, here's your fancy rock back," I shrugged nonchalantly, tossing it back to him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The small crowd that formed started to cheer in... mostly confusion. Guess they couldn't tell what the hell just happened. There seemed to be a Teddiursa, Usaring, the Corphish from earlier, a Sunflora, a female Meowstic, some sort of yellow bug in a scarf, and what looked like a condensed bundle of gases that represented the night sky. A Duskull observed from its stand; the others were empty./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Then, all of a sudden, I had a dizzy feeling wash over me. I cringed from the pain, as my vision began to fade to a dark orange. emWhat... What is...? /emI thought in pain, but was interrupted. There was a flash and my vision turned to black./p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"em?/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emI couldn't look around. My view was completely fixed in one position. There seemed to be the top a huge temple thing, with a hole in the middle. But why was Darumaka on it? He was alone, but, somehow, he looked... different. Braver? Confident?/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emThen he got out his rock thingy and slid it in that hole. It fit perfectly inside, and seemed to activate something. In response to the rock, the circle in the center flashed and shone a bright blue. It caused Darumaka to jump away in surprise, but then he cheered and started climbing down the steps on a side of the temple./em/p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"With another flash, I was back in the present time. My head slightly jolted upwards as the vision ended. emWhat the bloody hell was that about?/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Uh, Luna? You kind of spaced out there," Darumaka said./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I- uh, thanks everyone?" I shrugged, looking around at the crowd. After rubbing my still aching forehead, I began to walk back towards the beach./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""But am I ever glad... I actually managed to get it back. It's because you were there to help me, Luna. Thank you so much- hey, where are you going? I was just thanking you." Darumaka questioned, hopping to my side./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I don't know. I could probably nab an apple off a tree or something. I'm hungry, I'm tired," I stated, "And I'm just fed up with everything today." It wasn't a complete lie./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, why you gotta be like that?" Darumaka complained, who stopped following me. I just ignored him and kept on walking. "Luna, listen... It's getting late. You said you don't have any memories, so that means you don't know anything about, well, anything. You don't have anywhere to go."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I stopped in my tracks. He's right. Where emwould/em I go?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, I know! Follow me!" The monkey-like Pokemon exclaimed, suddenly running forward and pulling me behind./p  
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p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emTreasure Town's beach/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Why are we back here?" I asked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's for privacy. And also, for this view!" Darumaka declared, facing the sea. The Krabby were blowing bubbles into the air just as the sun was setting on the horizon. The bubbles were caught in the sun's rays, and shone in brilliant /"Woah... That's pretty..." I mumbled. It wasn't breathtaking, but its simplicity was what really got /"The Krabby blow bubbles when the weather is good enough. It's like their tradition. Don't you think it's wonderful that they take part in creating beauty?"br /"Yeah. In fact, I'm surprised that nobody else comes to enjoy this!"br /"Well, sometimes there's a few others, but they're usually about to sleep or are too busy. Anyways, here. Look!" Darumaka showed the rock that I retrieved for him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Here's what they stole. This is a Relic Fragment! ...Or, at least, that's what I've started calling it anyway. But this Relic Fragment is my precious treasure! You see, I've always liked legends and lore... I always get so excited when I hear tales from the past! Don't you feel the same way? Hidden troves full of treasure and strange relics... Uncharted territories veiled in darkness... And new lands just waiting to be discovered! Such places must be full of gold and treasure! And history! Wouldn't it be amazing to make historic discoveries? I always dream about that. It's all exciting to me. ...Okay, I may have gotten a little off-topic. But one day, I found this little beauty. Sure, it looks like junk, but take a closer look at it!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emHuh... Looks neat. But, that vision I had... That rock is something special, alright./em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""This pattern must have some sort of meaning to it. I'm sure of it! This Relic Fragment must be the key to legendary places! To areas where precious treasure lies! At least, that's the feeling I get."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm sure it goes somewhere. You should keep a better hold on that," I told knowingly./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I will. And this is the very reason I want to make an exploration team! This fragment must fit into something... somewhere! I want to discover where that is. I want to solve the mystery of my Relic Fragment! So earlier, I tried joining an exploration team as an apprentice..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emJesus Christ, he just keeps going!/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""But... I Torchickened out," Darumaka sighed in embarrassment./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""emTorchic/emkened?" I snickered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What? You haven't heard of that term before? I-I mean, no offense..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, I have, but it's different- oh never mind. And none taken."br /A few awkward moments passed. "So, uh, what is an exploration team?'/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh! Well, an exploration team is more than just a group of explorers. On one side, they discover new areas, explore their contents, and solve hidden puzzles. And whatever they find is theirs! On the other side, they accept jobs that can include rescuing Pokemon or hunting down criminals. The team will get rewarded for the job, too!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emHuh... I could become a hero!/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""So... Well, as I said earlier, you don't have anywhere to go, do you?" Darumaka paused to let me nod. "Then how about we make an exploration team together?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wait, are you using me?" I questioned flatly, a little bit mad./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wha- emn-no! /emI was- I just..." Darumaka cried in shock, looking like he was going to cry./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I- s-sorry, that was rude of me... I shouldn't have said that..." I apologized quietly. "L-look... Okay, let's make an exploration team."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Really?!" Darumaka asked hopefully. "And do you promise me that you're not doing this just as an apology?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I nodded. "You have a dream. A goal you want to accomplish. A goal that you emcan /emaccomplish. That alone is worth a person's- err, I guess in case, a Pokemon's- full support. I'm not really good with speeches, but... Well, I've barely known you, but I already know a bit about you. You're kind, you're... well, you're a little timid, but I can see you're trying to be brave. You want to be strong, don't you? And if pe- Pokemon em(I don't know, I guess I could use either term)/em in explorations teams are as good as you make them out to be, then how can I disagree?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Darumaka started to tear up. em"/em...emTh-thank you so much Luna."/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I took one last look at the bubbles floating in the sky before I motioned for Darumaka to lead the way./p  
hr style="margin: 5px 0px; border: 0px; background: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0% 100%, 100% 100%, from(#ffffff), color-stop(0.1, #cbcbcb), color-stop(0.9, #cbcbcb), to(#ffffff)) #cbcbcb; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"strongAnd so, Darumaka and Luna, formed an exploration team. This turned out to be their very first step into many fantastic realms of adventure that awaited their arrival. They will overcome many hurdles and face challenges out of their mind. However, while Luna and Darumaka may be on the same adventure, /strongstrongLuna is in it for something different. She's looking for answers. She wants to find out who she was, and what she'll become./strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"strongThis, is/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"emstrongPokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky/strongspan style="max-height: 999999px; text-decoration-line: underline;"strongbr /strong/span/emspan style="max-height: 999999px; text-decoration-line: underline;"emstrongLuna's Choices/strong/em/span/p 


	2. 2: The New Guild Recruits, Part 1

**I would've gotten this out earlier, but I was too busy with matters in my gaming life. Most of which are related to my PMD Sky playthrough... But only _most._ Also, this chapter was getting way too lengthy, even for me. And with the delay, I've decided to split the chapter into parts and release this early.**

 **Chapter 2: The New Guild Recruits; Part 1**

* * *

 **POV: Luna**

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Entrance_

"Well, here we are... This place is Wigglytuff's Guild. This is the closest place to form an exploration team around here. Then you have to train before you come a first-rate exploration team. ...Y-y-yikes! I still think this place is a little weird... It just is!" Darumaka shivered.

I simply rose an eyebrow, but didn't prod further. "Well, sunset is more apparent than it was before. We should probably hurry before everyone heads to bed."

"You're right... Well, for anyone to gain entry, you have to step on this grate," Darumaka explained, doing so.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" A rather young voice declared.  
" **Whose footprint? Whose footprint?** " An overly loud voice screamed back.  
"The footprint is Darumaka's! The footprint is Darumaka's!" The young voice called back.

" **You may enter! Someone's with you, so get that stranger to stand up there**!"

 _Geez, I'm feeling the headache already..._ Darumaka stepped aside to let me on. I momentarily studied the grate before shrugging.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"  
" **Whose footprint? Whose footprint?** " _Oh my god_ _... They have to do this every time..._

"The footprint is... The footprint is... Uhm..."

" **What's the matter... Sentry? Sentry!? What's wrong, sentry Diglett?** "

"...Um. The footprint is... Maybe Mawile's! Maybe Mawile's!"  
" **What!? MAYBE!?** "  
"B-but... It's not a footprint you usually see around here..."  
" **Ugh, that's pretty crummy! Checking the footprints of visiting Pokemon... That's your job, ISN'T it, Diglett?** "  
"Yes, but... I don't know what I don't know."

 _Words of a sage...  
_ "Huh? Are they arguing?" Darumaka sweatdropped.

" **...** **Sorry to make you WAIT. Well, it's TRUE you don't see any Mawile in these parts... But you don't SEEM to be bad... OK, good enough. ENTER!** " The booming voice echoed from below, just as the gate opened up.

"Yikes! I'm so nervous! So jittery! But, I'm glad we're finally allowed in. My heart's pounding, though... Anyways, let's go."

"...Really? They put a ladder in here? What about the Pokemon that walk on four legs, or roll around? How are they gonna get down? This is bad design to me," I complained.

"Eh, I don't know. ...Okay, uh... This might be a problem for me..." Darumaka gulped. I finally noticed just how small his arms were.

"I- uh... Just, hold on closely, okay?"

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Sublevel One_

 _That wasn't so hard.  
_ "Ugh... And I'm gonna have to do that again... and again... and again..." Darumaka trembled  
"Oh, you're such a crybaby. It wasn't _that_ bad."  
"Says you," Darumaka pouted in fake anger. "But, look at all the Pokemon here!"

Just then, some blue bird came up from the lower floor. "Excuse me!" He called in what sounded like a stereotypical parrot voice. "It was you two who just came in, right?"

"Y-yes it was!" Darumaka confirmed.

"I'm Chatot! I'm the Pokemon in the know around these parts! I am Guildmaster Wigglytuff's right-hand Pokemon! Now, shoo! Leave the premises! We have no time for salespeople or silly surveys. Off you go, if you please!"

 _...Taking note of the lack of "man" in the sentences. Guess the paparazzi exists in this world too._

"N-no! That's not why we're here! We want to form an exploration team... So we came here. We want to get proper training as an exploration team," Darumaka explained.

"W-what!? An exploration team? It's rare to see kids like these want to apprentice at the guild..." Chatot thought out loud. "Especially given how hard our training is! Surely the steady stream of Pokemon that run away from our rigorous training proves how hard that is!"

"Is the exploration team training really that strict?" Darumaka asked worriedly.  
"...You're just saying that to try and get us away, aren't you?" I asked. _Am_ _I really that young to these Pokemon? ...Is Darumaka really a child?_

"What!? Well... no! No, no, no! It's not true in the slightest! Our training program for exploration teams is as easy as can be!"  
 _Okay, what is with this guy? Sending me conflicting messages... Does he want us to join or not?  
_ "Well well well! I wish you told me up front that you wanted to be an exploration team! Hee-heee!" Chatot sang, his feathered tail-like thing and his musical note head swinging about. "Okay! Let's get your team signed up right away. Follow me!"

Darumaka and I looked at each other and shrugged before following behind.

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Sublevel Two_

"This is the guild's second underground floor. This is mainly where the apprentices work. Team registration is this way. Come along, please!" Chatot exclaimed, walking over to a fancy door.

"Wow! We're way underground, but you can still see outside!" Darumaka shouted in excitement.

"Oh, please! Hush now! The guild is built into the side of a cliff. It's only natural that you would be able to see outside."

"Oh."

"Now, here we are at Guildmaster Wigglytuff's chamber. On no account... I repeat, on no account should you be discourteous to our Guildmaster," Chatot warned, turning to the door. "Guildmaster! It's Chatot! I'm coming in!"

* * *

"Guildmaster! I present to you two Pokemon who wish to join our guild as apprentices." No response emitted from the huge pink... wall. "Guildmaster... um... Guildmaster?" Even Chatot asked in confusion.

"Hiya!" Wigglytuff shouted, turning around at the same time to try to scare us. _Got Daru, at least._ "I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster! You want to form an exploration team? Okay! First we must register your exploration team's name! So tell me your team's name!"

"Huh? The team's name?!" Darumaka exclaimed in shock. "I totally forgot about that! ...Luna, you have any cool ideas?"  
"Uhm... I'm thinking about something around the lines of the 'Unlikely Duo'?"  
"...Sounds cool, but why that name?"  
"I don't know, our types are pretty mismatched and we have near opposite personalities? I have nothing better," I shrugged. "Not really good with names."  
"Hm, I see what you're getting at... Then how about we shorten it to 'Team Misma-' no, almost sounds like an insult..."

"Then how about 'Team Contrast'?" Wigglytuff suggested.  
"Alright, that sounds pretty cool!" I smirked.  
"Team Contrast... Team Contrast! Yeah! That's a good name! I like it!"  
"Oooh, and it's got a double meaning if you think hard enough! It's about how near polar opposites can work together in harmony!" I commented.

"Alright, all settled then! I'll register your team as Contrast. Registering... Registering..." Wigglytuff chanted. "All registered! _Yoooomm... Taah!_ Congratulations! From now on, you're an official exploration team! I present you with this in commemoration."

"A Pokemon Exploration Team Kit?" Darumaka asked.  
"Yup! It's what every exploration team needs. Quick, open it up!"  
I walked over to one side of the box and let Darumaka open it up. Inside was an Explorer Badge, a Wonder Map, and a Treasure Bag. "Yeah! There's all sorts of good stuff in here!"

"That's your Explorer Badge! It's your official team identification! And there's the Wonder Map, which is a wonder of convenience! Finally, there's a Treasure Bag. It lets you carry items you find in dungeons. Your successes as an exploration team can lead to bigger and bigger space for your Treasure Bag. It's a very wonderful bag!" Wigglytuff explained. "Have a peek inside your Treasure Bag."

Darumaka opened up the flap and heaved the bag out of the box in order to look inside. From the bag, he lifted up a Power Band and a Blue Bow.  
"Those two items are special. I'm sure they'll help you on your adventures!" Wigglytuff told.

"Th-thank you! We'll do our best!" Darumaka smiled.  
"Yup. But you're only apprenticing right now. So do your best... to train!"  
"We will. Let's do this right, Luna!" _Oh my god we need to pose._

Darumaka glanced at me, totally confirming that we were thinking of the same thing. He simply pumped his fist into the air, while I swung my arm across my body into a low arm pump and grinned cockily.

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Crew Rooms_

"This is your room!" Chatot showed a rather empty and small, yet comfortable room.

"Wow, we get beds!" Darumaka exclaimed, walking onto one and claiming his.

"You will live here while you work for us. Things will start getting busy for you tomorrow! So rise early and start living up to our code! Don't stay up late! Get to sleep early tonight! That is all," Chatot finished, leaving us to ourselves.

* * *

Nighttime quickly rolled around, yet despite my complaining earlier, I was wide awake. _Might as well reflect on what happened today..._

 _First of all, what was that memory?_

 _"No! Don't let go!"_

 _It was almost as if... two Pokemon were hanging off the edge of a cliff. It's really unlikely, but even still, that's my only reasonably guess. And then..._

 _"Waaaaaah!"_

 _It sounds like they didn't make it. Yet, strangely, those two voices... They almost sound familiar. But there's not much I can make of that right now. Then, that vision I had...  
That was the same Darumaka as the one right here, I'm sure of it. Yet, he looked much different. Definitely more confident. It might be because of my influence, or just from the training here. Or is it even a vision from the future? Was it just made up?  
_ _And, that was surely his Relic Fragment he put in that slot. I have to-_ we _have to keep that safe. I know now that it's more than just a rock. ...Speaking of which, it was touching that rock that sent me the vision, wasn't it? Has Darumaka experienced any visions like that? And then, should I tell him about mine?_

"Hey, are you still awake, Luna?" Darumaka asked. _Well that's convenient.  
_ "Yeah."  
"My heart's been pounding over every little thing today... But I'm glad I finally worked up the courage to come here. I thought Wigglytuff would be a lot scarier, but he's really nice. Even though tomorrow has all sorts of new stuff in store for us, I'm not scared at all!"

"Darumaka... Have you experienced any... visions?" I asked.  
"Hm? No, not any. Why do you ask?"  
"Oh, nothing. I'm gonna try to sleep now, it's rather late."  
"Okay then," Darumaka shrugged, probably. I wasn't looking.

And so, I tried to sleep. But no matter what, I just couldn't get comfortable. There was no clock so I couldn't tell how much time really passed, but I'm sure it was a long time.

 _Might as well get back to my thoughts... Well, that village, and the fact that exploration teams exist... Pokemon here have established a society like a human, with no humans in sight... That surely confirms that this is a different world. What does that mean for me? Will I ever get back to_ my _world? And do I_ want _to...? I guess only time will tell..._

 _But, then, if this is a parallel universe, then that memory... Were those two people travelling through a portal to get here, only to get separated? Was one of those people me? It would explain why I wasn't with that person when I woke up. And it's not impossible, considering this world. But then that brings up more questions: why would we have to travel over to this world? Is there something going wrong? And what could it be? Then, would there be another Pokemon out there, who was once a human like me, and with no memories? ...Well, no sense in asking what I can't get answers to..._

 _...Hm. Curious... I already know about some Pokemon, despite my amnesia... Safe to assume I knew about them previously, but then there was that... gassy-looking 'mon. Wonder what's in store for me..._

* * *

 _The next morning..._

" **Hey! Rise and shine!** "

 _Uughh... M-my head is pounding! Wh-what a ridiculously loud voice! It almost blasted my eardrums..._

" **Why are you still ASLEEP!? Wake up!** "

"M-my ears..."

" **C'mon! Snap OUT of it! I'm Loudred! And I'm a fellow apprentice! If you're late for our morning briefing, you'll be SORRY! So, MOVE it! Guildmaster Wigglytuff has got a BIG temper. If you make him lose it... YOWEEE! That would be one very scary scene! I've got goosebumps thinking about it! YEESH! ...So ANYWAY... I'm not about to get in trouble because you rookies got up LATE! SO GET IT IN GEAR!** "

"Ow, my fucking ears..." I complained, still motionless.  
"Urk! My ears are still ringing! ...What did he say? Something about getting ready?" Darumaka groaned, getting up. "Er... Oh, yeah! We signed up as apprentices at Wigglytuff's guild, that's right! But that means... Oh no! We totally overslept! Hurry up, Luna!"

"Just... Ten more minutes..."

"Luna, please. We don't have time for this!" Darumaka panicked. I just tried to go back to sleep.  
Suddenly, Darumaka's tiny hands lifted me off the ground. "Wh-what are you doing!?"  
"If you can't get to the morning briefing, I'll just have to get you there myself! Heh, you're much lighter than you look."

"Sh-shut it," I pouted playfully, letting him carry me out.

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Sublevel Two_

Everybody seemed to be gathering just in front of Wigglytuff's room. There, in front of Chatot, was a Sunflora, Diglett, Loudred, Bidoof, Chimecho, Corphish, Dugtrio, and Croagunk.

" **You're LATE, rookies! And, what in the world do you think you're doing?** " Loudred asked in bemusement as Darumaka set me on the ground.

"She refused to get out of bed."  
"No, I was too tired."  
"Same thing."

"Hush, you three! And _your_ voice is ridiculously loud!" Chatot scolded, making Loudred grumble in annoyance. "Well, everyone seems to be present. Very well. Let us conduct our morning address. Guildmaster! The guild is in full attendance!"

A moment passed before the doors to the Guildmaster's chambers opened up. "Thank you, Guildmaster! Please address the crew for our special announcement."  
Yet the only thing that came out of Wigglytuff's mouth was a bunch of snores.

"Pssst...! Guildmaster Wigglytuff never ceases to amaze me!" One apprentice whispered.  
"Yeah, you got that right!" Another apprentice replied back.  
"Yup, looks like he's wide awake," A third voice chuckled in a southern accent, which might've came from Bidoof.  
"Eek! His eyes are wide open! But he's fast asleep!" The Sunflora next to me exclaimed quietly.

"Thank you, sir! We all value your... words of wisdom!" Chatot said, trying not to chuckle. However, quiet snorts still made it through his beak. I found myself making similar noises too. "OK, Pokemon! Take our Guildmaster's words of wisdom to heart!  
"Anyways, I'll take over the announcement today. As you can see, we have two new guild recruits! Their names are Darumaka and Luna, who formed the team, 'Contrast!' Please do treat them kindly!"

"Hey, hey, hey! It's you two from yesterday!" The Corphish exclaimed.  
"Oh my gosh, it is! You totally kicked that thief's butt!" Sunflora cheered.  
"Oh yeah, I remember you! And sorry for the pushiness, but you knew what I had to do," I apologized.

"Hmm? Some of you are already acquaintances with our new members? Well, I hope you get along well!" Chatot beamed. "And finally, let's not forget out morning cheers! And listen closely, you two. Remember the chant well; you'll be expected to join in for the rest of your time here. All together now!"

"A-ONE, A-TWO... A-ONE-TWO-THREE!" Everybody shouted.  
"ONE! DON'T SHIRK WORK!"  
"TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY!"  
"THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!"

 _What the hell? The second line made it sound like this is a fucking mafia. Totally sounded like a serious, criminal organization, and then the third line just comes up and makes it a cheery, happy-fun-time land._

"OK, Pokemon! Get to work!" Chatot exclaimed.  
"HOORAY!" Everybody cheered one last time, before the group scattered.

I looked at Darumaka in confusion, only to get a similar stare back. Both of us didn't know what to do. I simply decided to head up a floor and check it out.

"Hey, you shouldn't just be wandering around there. You two, come here," Chatot called, hopping to the upper floor.

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Sublevel One_

"You're just beginners. We'll have you start off with this assignment. This is the Job Bulletin Board. Pokemon from various regions post job requests here. You're aware that bad Pokemon are cropping up in greater numbers, right?"  
 _Oh, right. Daru said something about t-  
_ "Yup. Because the flow of time is getting messed up. It's wreaking havoc, right? Which is why lots of bad Pokemon are appearing!"

 _Woah woah woah, what a fucking bombshell! The flow of time's messing up!? And Daru just casually drops the bomb like it was common knowledge!_

"Precisely. Time getting out of whack has caused an outbreak of bad Pokemon. Perhaps because of all of that, we've noticed an increase in the number of jobs. In addition... and it's unknown if this is because of time's influence... There has also been a mass outbreak of... Mystery dungeons," Chatot explained flatly.  
 _...What. What the fuck._

"So, Luna. You haven't been in a mystery dungeon before, have you? Well, back at the beach we were at, right next to it was a mystery dungeon. If you need a bit of practice, you can head there. They change layout each time you enter it, and different items appear as well! But, while they are littered with bad Pokemon, it's also a good way to grow stronger."

"Well! You're quite informed, aren't you! That makes things much easier for me to explain! Jobs all take place in mystery dungeons. So... Let's look for a job that you should perform! ...Ah, yes. Maybe this will do?" Chatot questioned, somehow taking a piece of paper off it with his wing.  
"Oh, yeah? Let's read it!"

 _Hello! My name is Spoink! An outlaw has run off with my most prized possession. My precious pearl! That pearl is life itself... to me! I just can't seem to settle down if that pearl isn't in its proper place atop my head! But I heard my pearl has been sighted! It's said to be on a rocky bluff. But this bluff is reported to be extremely unsafe. Oh, friendly readers! Would you be so kind as to go to the bluff and get my pearl? I beg your help, exploration team members!_

"Hold on a second! We're only going to fetch an item that someone dropped?" Darumaka asked angrily.  
"Woah, Darumaka! Why are you so mad?! You don't even know how important that pearl could be to Spoink!" I shouted in shock.  
"But L-Luna, I- I'd rather look for treasure, or- or explore unknown places. Things like that! I-"  
"Hush!" Chatot squawked loudly. "It's important that you rookies pay your dues!"

"Darumaka, it's all about being a good person. So, where exactly is this bluff?" I asked. Darumaka looked to the floor and drooped in sadness.  
"It's not too far away from here. Open your map," Chatot commanded. Daru had the bag, and he quickly unrolled the parchment. "This is where we are, right here. The dungeon, Drenched Bluff, is directly southeast, right over here."  
"You're right- we can get there very quickly," I commented.  
"But, you've never been in a mystery dungeon, so I recommend getting the hang of things down in the Beach Cave. It's still early in the morning, so there's plenty of time for you to complete this job," Chatot finished.

"Alright then. Come with me, Darumaka," I called, heading up the ladder.

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild: Entrance_

"Could I just call you 'Daru?'" I said randomly as we were heading down the stairs.  
"Hm? Why?"  
"I don't know, 'Darumaka' is a little long."

"Mm, alright. ...Well, there's something I have to tell you," Daru started nervously. "I didn't want to say it in front of Chatot, because it would prompt questions from him... Well, uh- you know how I said the mystery dungeons are littered with bad Pokemon?"  
I nodded, confused.

 _The Crossroads_

"Well- hm, how do I word this... Okay, so, you know how there's Pokemon like me and the ones at the guild? We communicate and do business as if we all were of the same species... Like humans (probably) do. But, the Pokemon found in mystery dungeons... They aren't like us. We call them Wild Pokemon- because that's exactly what they are."  
 _Like... Like beasts that grew up in the wild? ...Oh, that's what he meant.  
_ "I don't know how to describe it exactly, but you get what I mean, right?"  
I nodded.  
"So, Wild Pokemon may look like us, but they're... violent. But, onto a different but still related topic.

"Now, with that knowledge, you may be wondering, 'How did we become civilized?'  
"...Heh. You already know, don't you? It was because of humans, Luna. They united each other, then they united _us_. Even Arceus, our very creator. There weren't many humans due to the harsh environments, but they made a huge impact."  
"But, I haven't seen a single human since I've got here," I commented nervously, stopping in place.

 _Treasure Town's beach_

"W-well... They... They're gone. But if you truly believe you were once a human, then... I don't even know what it means! Don't you get how important you might be!? There hasn't been a single human sighted in a long time, but then, here you are!"

I looked down at my human hands, but they were just Mawile hands. Awkward, small, and a constant reminder of what I am. I tried to push those thoughts out of my head and continue walking to the Beach Cave.

"Normally the Wild Pokemon aren't that aggressive, but with the recent rise in criminal activity, the increase of jobs, and the time going out of whack... Something's gotta be happening! And here you are, who just magically got turned into a Pokemon and arrived here at the same time this is all happening!" Daru exclaimed, way too excited.

"I guess..." _That... is pretty likely. And goes with my thoughts from last night, too._ "Honestly, at this point, I believe anything could happen. ...But, wait, how did the humans go extinct?"

"Well... I don't actually know. Some history books talk about this world being made only for Pokemon, but then it goes on to talk about humans. It's contradictory if you ask me," Daru stated as we started to walk into the entrance to the mystery dungeon.  
"So it's like they don't want to tell us?" I pouted.  
"Seems like it."

We continued walking down deeper into the cave in silence, but strangely, the light didn't falter. _Okay, I got transformed into a Pokemon and got transported to a world without humans. Somehow, that seems okay compared to this._

"Alright, Luna. Let's find out what we're made of!"


	3. 3: The New Guild Recruits, Part 2

**Wow, uh... I can't believe it's been a whole year already. I can't believe I forgot about this for so long. Sorry.**

 **Chapter 3: The New Guild Recruits; Part 2**

* * *

"That was kind of underwhelming..." Darumaka sighed.

"Hey, I'm sure you knew what to do already. I've literally only been here for a day. Had to start somewhere."  
"All you did was tackle enemies. Against a bunch of Corsola and Kabuto who resist it," Daru deadpanned. "You've got a huge mouth on the back of your head and you didn't use it!"  
"H-hey, you think I know how to use it? And I don't think I saw you going against those _water types,_ " I bantered.  
"Maybe you can get some proper training when we do this mission..."

Specifically ignoring my comment, the boy continued out of Treasure Town with a pout. I shrugged to myself and continued onward, as if I knew he was joking.

* * *

 _Drenched Bluff_

"Looks a little dark here... and wet..." Darumaka shivered, adjusting the bow wrapped around his stubby arm. "I hate water..."  
"I wonder why." I simply tied the Power Band around my neck. "Well, can't just stand here."

We walked into a surprisingly not-dark room with good visibility, as Daru quickly tackled down a nearby Lileep. "See, they're going down with just one hit. It can't be that bad."

"But it's in most fire types' nature..."

I decided to try out something different. I felt that the fake jaw on my head wasn't the only metallic parts on me, so it's time for a test. Despite expecting it, I was still surprised to find that I can make my fists hard as steel. Though, considering the size of them, it might be better to use my head instead.

Sure enough, launching myself _head first_ into a Shellos made a loud clang, and I didn't even harm myself in the process. "Wow, was that Iron Head?" Daru praised.

"I guess so. It seems pretty powerful," I boasted.

"Yeah, now imagine a 400 pound wall of steel using that, like a Metagross! _That's_ gotta hurt!"  
"...Yeah..." I sweatdropped.  
"O-oh! Oh no- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" Daru shouted in realization.  
"It's fine, Daru. Don't worry, I'm happy being cute," I smiled innocently, even closing my eyes for extra effect. I made sure he saw my back jaw grin maliciously, and based on the audible gulp I heard in front of me, it worked as intended.

"Come on," I said between short giggles.

 _What did I get myself into?_ Darumaka wondered.

* * *

"So uh, can we take a break and tell me what these berries and seeds actually do?" I sighed with light exhaustion, sitting against a rocky wall to rub at a pained knee.

"Oh, sure. ...Well, this Pecha Berry can cure poisoning. But steel types like you can't get poisoned anyways so..."  
"Does that include no risk of food poisoning? I can get behind this," I said with sudden interest.  
"...Anyways, this Stun Seed can be thrown at wild pokemon to lock them in place for a while, and similarly with a Sleep Seed. X-Eye Seeds can distract wilds with... weird hallucinations... Definitely don't want to eat that yourself. And the blue Oran Berries can relieve pain."

"Well, let me eat one! I've been taking all the hits for you," I grunted.  
"WAIT! Don't eat it yet! Give it to me," Daru shrieked, peeling at the skin and taking a sniff. "Ah ha- this isn't an Oran Berry at all, but what we call an Or _e_ n Berry."

"...And, what's the difference?"

"It can hurt you rather than help you. You have to check if it smells rotten before eating it," Daru explained, tossing it aside.

"Can't be that bad..."

* * *

"Oh, look at that!" Daru exclaimed as we reached a small waterfall dripping into a little pond, overflowing into two separate ponds. A sparkly pink sphere sat in front of it. "This must be Spoink's pearl! Let's hurry back with it!"

"How'd it get here anyways?" I questioned.

"Because mystery dungeon. You can't question it."

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild_

"Th-thank you!" Spoink praised with tears in his eyes. "That pearl must be propped on my head, you see. I missed it so much! So I was just boinging and sproinging everywhere! That's why I'm covered in dings and bumps... But thanks to you, that nightmare is over! You have my sincere thanks!"

He hopped over to give us a protein, calcium, iron, and 2000 Poke!

"Oh, wow! 2,000 Poke!? All this money is for us!?"

"Of course, of course! That's nothing compared to my pearl's value! Farewell!" He said, springing up the ladder.

"We're rich, Luna! We got rich just like that!" Daru grinned with an almost greedy look in his eyes.

"Well done, team!" Chatot chirped, jumping over. "Now hand that money over, if you please!"  
"Huh!?" Daru shouted, falling out of his daydream.  
"Most of the money from jobs goes to the Guildmaster, you see! And your team's share of the money comes out to this much..." He gave us only a tenth of what we received.  
"What!? We only keep _200?_ That's awful!"  
"Well that's the guild's rule. You simply have to accept it!"

"I guess there had to be some catch..." I mumbled, Daru quietly whimpering alongside me.

* * *

With that mission done, we were free for the day. Darumaka decided to go somewhere unspecified, so I decided to look around the guild. There was a big rock station on the second floor, so I decided to visit the Croagunk there.

"Hello? What do you do here?" I asked, recognizing that it was a shop of sorts.  
"Oh, it's you. I've seen you around. You look rather strong, mweh-heh-heh. The rumor spreading around here certainly says so. ...But that's not what you wanted to hear, was it? The thing is, my shop isn't open yet. I can let you know when I do, however. Heh-heh."  
"Oh, really? I guess I did tackle a thief in the town square."  
"And you did a pretty good job at that, too. You've got my trust. And keep your kid safe, okay?"

 _I guess the age difference does seem a little big..._ "Thanks! Have a wonderful day."  
"You too, mweh-heh-heh."

* * *

 _Treasure Town_

I decided there wasn't much else to see in the guild, so I took a trip to Treasure Town with the team bag. As I was walking past the Duskull's store, that gassy Pokemon noticed me but stayed put. It was like he was interested in me but was too scared.

"Welcome to the Duskull Bank. You look new here, so I'll have to make a new tab for you."  
"Oh! Well in that case, I should deposit my money then." 300 wasn't much, but repressed knowledge of the human economy must've taught my past self to conserve a lot.  
"I will keep this as long as you want, maybe even forever..."

I casted a worried look at him, and moved on my way. There was a Kangaskhan running a storage service, and two Kecleons running a variety store. An Electivire and Xatu stand were vacant, and the Marowak Dojo seemed blockaded. With nowhere else to go in the small town, the path lead to a cliff overlooking the beach I woke up on. And... Darumaka was returning from said cliff.

"Luna? I didn't expect you here!" He was carrying a bag on his back.  
"Well, it is a pretty sight," I said, sitting on the edge.  
"Yeah, this is called Sharpedo Bluff. Strange how it looks a lot like a Pokemon, huh..."

"Well, I hope it's happy to get a view like this."

"I was just returning to the Guild. You wanna come with?"

"Oh, sure."

* * *

 _Wigglytuff's Guild_

"I brought back some stuff from home," Darumaka explained, unpacking his leather bag. "To decorate the room. It'll look like _our_ room. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Didn't think you were the style kind of guy."

"Well, I want to make something off of a blank canvas."

Bored, I decided to seek out Chatot for a question that was bothering me since the Drenched Bluff mission. "Hey, uh, Chatot. I wanted to ask you something about the guild." _Have to stay formal for these kinds of people..._  
"Hmm? Well, I suppose I can answer."  
"This guild itself doesn't have too many members, but it seems like there's a bunch of exploration teams that aren't enrolled here but use some of the services here anyway. Can I ask what that is about?"  
"Ah, while we are our own guild, we are really more like one station of a big union. There are guilds in other towns, in which other explorers can sign up there. Since they signed up for the same purpose, we allow other guild members to accept missions here and use services if they're too far from home."

"Thank you for filling my curiosity. I suppose it would help to have some sort of community established."

"Indeed. Just to let you know, you don't have to be so formal around here. Just let loose and warm up to us; you look rather distant and lonely," Chatot squaked.

"Oh, um, thank you for concern. I'll try..." I shifted my weight onto one leg, my hands held behind my back.

"Most of us went through that phase. To be popular, be kind."

Just then, ringing chimes echoed throughout the guild, silencing any conversation. "Everyone! Thanks for waiting! I finished making dinner!" A lovely Chimecho called. "Come on! Dinner's on!"

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered.

Following behind Bidoof to the dining room, the guild presented a large dining table packed with fruits and other delicacies. There were two new spots for us, and three vacant plates on the other side. Watching Darumaka go ham on it, I got an idea. Whipping my big jaw over my head, I gobbled up the whole meal in one go. I chewed fast... except I tasted nothing. _It must not have taste buds,_ I thought sorrowfully.

" _Dude. Why?_ " Daru asked with his mouthful.

"Why wouldn't I?"

" _Showoff._ "

* * *

"Listen, Luna. Wasn't today hectic?" Daru chatted in the dark of the night. "So much happened! But I'm relieved that our first job was a success. It was really upsetting how Wigglytuff's Guild took most of the money. That's just the cost of training, I guess. We can't do anything about it. But what made me really happy was getting thanked by Spoink!" The excited child paused to yawn. "I'm getting sleepy... I'm going to sleep now. Let's try our best again tomorrow. Good night, Luna..."

 _I should really tell him about that vision I had... But today was so busy that I had no time..._

I looked at the decorations put up. It wasn't much, but Darumaka brought a tiny coffee table can can only fit the few books he brought. A fake flower set next to it. _I suppose we should try bringing back things from our travels here._

* * *

 _The Outskirts of Treasure Town_

"Skuntank, sir!" Zubat cried, exhausted.  
"We messed up bad, sir!" Koffing drooped.

Skuntank fake-yawned, rolling his unfinished apple to the ground and giving a sharp glare.

"W-we, uh... we heard this kid had some kind of treasure in his possession... He looked weak so we tried to take it for ourselves, but there was a strong Mawile nearby and she wiped us out!" Zubat gulped.  
"The girl took us out right in town square..." Koffing sobbed, using all of his might to not run away.

" _Fools!_ You were simply supposed to scout out how many tough Pokemon were in Wigglytuff's Guild! Now Treasure Town sees us as criminals and we can't leech off of its resources!" Skuntank barked. "Unless..."

"B-boss, what are you planning?" Koffing questioned nervously, Skuntank's stare almost freezing his movement.

"We can try to earn our trust back by joining that guild ourselves."  
Koffing and Zubat looked at eachother nervously. "How will that help us, sir?"  
"We will get direct access to food, money, and training, all the while getting direct intel of our foes. It will be perfect. Tell me, who was that kid with the treasure?"  
"A Darumaka, sir."  
"I see... We'll have to play it cool, even if we run into him. He will surely recognize you two though."  
"And what about the Mawile?"

"Hmm... I doubt we'll run into her, but if so, then she can't just publicly expose us. She'll seem crazy. Then we can get on the Guildmaster's good side... And I know exactly how to do that."

* * *

 **This chapter was originally going to include Beach Cave with Darumaka teaching Luna tips as if it was straight from the game's tutorial, but it was awkward and didn't work well enough to stay in. As a result, this was probably short enough to fit in the last chapter. Oh well. All in all, not much was really changed from the original. The story will give me more freedom soon, though.**


End file.
